"Charles Cruft (showman) Charles Alfred Cruft (28 June 1852 – 10 September 1938) was a British showman who founded the Crufts dog show. Charles first became involved with dogs when he began to work at Spratt's, a manufacturer of dog biscuits. He rose to the position of general manager, and whilst working for Spratt's in France he was invited to run his first dog show at the 1878 Exposition Universelle. After running dog shows in London for four years, he ran his first Cruft's dog show in 1891, and continued to run a further 45 shows until his death in"
"to the creation of the first show to be named after Cruft was in 1891, when ""Cruft's Greatest Dog Show"" was held at the Royal Agricultural Hall, Islington, with part of the deal to hold the show at that location was to restrict the venue to only allowing Cruft to run dog shows at the location. He designed the logo himself, the head of a Saint Bernard surrounded by a collar with a crown on top. He introduced a system where competitors would pay to enter their dogs, and make additional payments if they wished to take the dogs away"
"the Toy Spaniel Club and the Pug Dog Club. He was also involved in clubs which promoted the Saint Bernard and Borzoi breeds. In 1886, Cruft was approached to run a dog show for terriers in London by the Duchess of Newcastle, and so on 10 March his show opened at the Royal Aquarium in Westminster, London. Entitled ""The first Great Show of all kinds of Terriers"", the show received 570 entries across 57 classes and included Lord Alfred Paget among the patrons. Collies and several breeds of toy dogs were added by 1890. This gradual expansion of breeds led"
"competitors must ""borrow"" dogs from gracious British show enthusiasts. The first World title competition, held in 1984, was judged by Ger Pederson. The winner of this premiere competition was US representative Tracie Laliberte who had won Westminster Kennel Club in 1983. A unique feature of this first competition was the requirement of switching dogs mid-way through the competition. Crufts drew 160,000 visitors to the NEC in 2008. While the main purpose of the event is the search for the best dog in the show, many trade stands sell a wide range of dog-related merchandise or advertise dog-related charities. There is"
"second show in March 1895, which once again ""Fur and Feather"" heaped praise upon, despite the cutbacks that Cruft had initiated to make the show more profitable. ""Fur and Feather"" announced in March 1896 that the cat show had been postponed due to Cruft's other business commitments, but he never went on to run such a show again. In 1896, Cruft designed special train carriages to carry competition dogs for his shows from around the country. Cruft was Secretary of the Ranelagh Fox Terrier Show in 1901, and together with several colleagues including Sir Humphrey de Trafford created the National"
"and the charitable trust. It was also under his stewardship that the registration system became computerised. The Kennel Club acquired Crufts dog show after the widow of Charles Cruft was unable to devote the time to running such a large undertaking. No shows were held during the Second World War. The first Crufts show held by the Kennel Club was in 1948 at Olympia, London. The show was first televised by the BBC in 1950. The show moved to Earls Court in 1979 where it remained until staging its centenary show in 1991 at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham."
"from a single small shop to the British leader in these types of products. In 1878, whilst still working for Spratt's, Cruft travelled across Europe to expand the biscuit business. Whilst in France, he was invited to run the dog show at the third World's Fair whilst he was there promoting Spratt's dog cake, known as the Exposition Universelle. Further offers to run shows came in for Cruft, including an offer to become Secretary of the Dutch Kennel Club, and an offer to run the livestock section of the Brussels and Antwerp International Exhibitions. He took up job offers to"
"of the list overnight. This greatly increases the price of puppies bred from this dog or at the dog's kennel of origin. In the United Kingdom, the international championship show Crufts was first held in 1891. Since its centenary year in 1991, the show has officially been recognised as the world's largest and most prestigious dog show by the Guinness Book of Records, with a total of 22,991 dogs being exhibited that year. 22,964 dogs were exhibited in 2008, 27 short of the previous record. Crufts is held over 4 days at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham and"
"his Labrador Retrievers regularly. On 7 and 8 March 1894, he experimented with expanding his shows and held his first Cat conformation show. The first show had over 600 entries, becoming easily the biggest of its kind so far, with patrons that included the Duchess of Newcastle, the Countess de Sefton and Lady de Trafford. The publication ""Fur and Feather"" praised the new venture and encouraged more. Crufts however wasn't so sure as the initial show had lost over a hundred pounds, and entries in some of the classes were restricted to only a handful of cats. He held a"
"Harrington, who had worked on the Crufts dog shows since 1925 received £500. At the time of his death in 1938, it was thought that his wife, Emma Cruft, would continue to run the dog shows with the help of the show's secretary, Miss Hardingham. After running the show in 1939, Mrs Cruft sold the show to The Kennel Club, however due to World War II, it wasn't until 1948 when they ran the show for the first time. The show would remain being called Cruft's until 1974, when during a rebrand the apostrophe was dropped, resulting in the show"
"first time the show had moved out of London since its inception. It was also at the Centenary celebrations in 1991 that Crufts was officially recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest dog show with 22,973 dogs being exhibited in conformation classes that year. Including agility and other events, it is estimated that an average 28,000 dogs take part in Crufts each year, with an estimated 160,000 human visitors attending the show. Crufts was formerly televised by the BBC; this ended after the 2008 event (see ""Criticism"") and the 2009 event was only shown via the"
"Crufts Crufts is an umbrella term for an international canine event held annually in the United Kingdom. Crufts is centred on a championship conformation show for dogs but also includes a large trade show of mainly dog-related goods and services and competitions in dog agility, obedience, flyball and heelwork to music. The event is organised and hosted by the Kennel Club. It is held over four days (Thursday to Sunday) in early March at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, England. The highest profile dog show in British culture, it is the largest show of its kind in the"
"each night of the three-day competition, and again pay if they wanted to take them away early on the final day. By 1914, the show had grown in popularity until it was recognised as the largest dog show in the world and by 1936 when the show celebrated its Golden Jubilee, over 10,000 dogs were entered at the event. Cruft's shows were frequented by Royalty, with Queen Victoria exhibiting dogs, and King Edward VII also doing so prior to becoming King. In 1893, Tsar Alexander III of Russia sent eighteen Borzois to compete, and from 1916 King George V entered"
"the first Crufts dog show. The National Canine Defence League began operations funded entirely by donations from members and supporters. The group campaigned for the protection of strays, the provision of proper veterinary care and to campaign against muzzling, prolonged chaining and experimentation on dogs, which was a common practice at the time. By 1902 membership had risen to 1,000. Lady Gertrude Stock Lady Gertrude Georgina Stock, née Douglas (21 August 1842 - 25 November 1893) was an English aristocrat and novelist, who also wrote under the pseudonym George Douglas. In 1891 she founded the National Canine Defence League (today"
"as ""a dog show in Islington"". After running his 45th Crufts show in 1938, he fell ill. By the late summer he was recovering, but he died due to a heart attack at around 5:30am on 10 September. Tributes came in from media agencies, with ""Our Dogs"" calling him ""the man who made dog shows"", and comparisons with the American showman P. T. Barnum. The funeral occurred on 21 September. Cruft was buried in a tomb in the western area of Highgate Cemetery, London. It would become Grade II listed on 14 May 1974. The London Borough of Islington placed"
"Scruffts Scruffts is an informal dog show competition, similar to that of a conformation show for purebred dogs, where crossbreed dogs of any parentage are allowed to compete. It is hosted by The Kennel Club of the United Kingdom and is named after its world-famous annual show for purebreds, Crufts. Scruffts began in 2000. At Scruffts, dogs compete for the titles of: Scruffts was designed for people or families who do not have a purebred dog and who want to experience conformation competition with their dogs. It is an opportunity to properly socialise dogs and further strengthen the bond between"
"world, as declared by ""Guinness World Records"". Crufts consists of several competitions occurring at the same time. The main competition is for the Best in Show award, which is hotly contested by dogs and their owners throughout the world. The Kennel Club was criticised on the BBC programme ""Pedigree Dogs Exposed"" for allowing breed standards, judging standards and breeding practices which are said to compromise the health of purebred dogs. The programme led various sponsors to withdraw. The BBC dropped Crufts 2009 from their coverage after being unable to agree to terms with The Kennel Club. Crufts was named after"
"also a section known as Discover Dogs where visitors can see almost every breed recognised by the Kennel Club on view, and discuss each breed with knowledgeable owners. Crufts also holds special shows and demonstrations, where specially trained dogs may perform in front of an audience. As the Kennel Club also registers crossbreeds, Crufts also hosts many competitions and displays for crossbreeds. They mainly compete in agility, obedience and heelwork to music competitions. The popularity of Crufts and the interest of dog owners who do not own purebreeds convinced the Kennel Club to hold Scruffts, a show similar to Crufts"
"shows. The first dog show took place on 28 June 1859 in Newcastle and focused mostly on sporting and hunting dogs. However, pet owners produced an eagerness to demonstrate their pets as well as have an outlet to compete. Thus, pet animals gradually were included within dog shows. The first large show, which would host one thousand entries, took place in Chelsea in 1863. The Kennel Club was created in 1873 to ensure fairness and organization within dog shows. The development of the ""Stud Book"" by the Kennel Club defined policies, presented a national registry system of purebred dogs, and"
"1938, as well as running two cat shows in 1894 and 1895. He was involved in a range of dog breed clubs, including that for Schipperkes, Pugs and Borzois. He and his wife upheld a story that they never owned a dog, and instead owned a cat, however Cruft admitted to owning at least one Saint Bernard in his memoirs, published posthumously. Charles Cruft was born on 28 June 1852, one of four children. In his youth, Charles attended Ardingly College in Sussex, and Birkbeck College in London. Cruft first followed in his father's footsteps by becoming a manufacturing jeweller"
"From originally being a show for the exhibition of purebred dogs, it has expanded over the years and now incorporates most other canine disciplines such as Obedience, Agility, and Flyball. Initially the Discover Dogs event was staged as a part of Crufts dog show, but as its popularity increased it became a stand-alone event. Established in 1996, it is described as a canine extravaganza and a show-piece event. Discover Dogs gives the public an opportunity to meet representatives of all pedigree dog breeds and chat with breed experts about the suitability of the breed as a pet. It also hosts"
"give birth naturally and puppies must be born by caesarian section. The boxer breed was presented as suffering from heart diseases and high rate of cancer, one boxer was shown having an epileptic seizure. According to the programme, dogs were initially bred for practical functions such as hunting and guarding, but, in the middle of the 19th century they became a status symbol, and dog breeding became a sport. The function of the dog then became secondary to appearance. RSPCA Chief Vet Mark Evans called the Crufts show ""a parade of mutants"" and ""a freakish, garish beauty pageant that has"
"featuring the Scruffts dog show for crossbreed and mixed-breed dogs. The Kennel club was founded in 1873 after Sewallis E Shirley became frustrated by trying to organise dog shows without a consistent set of rules to work with. Since the first dog show held in 1859, shows had become increasingly popular during the Victorian era. Shirley is listed as an exhibitor of Fox Terriers at the Birmingham Dog Show Society show in 1865. Together with a group of other gentlemen he organised the First Grand Exhibition of Sporting and Other Dogs held at Crystal Palace in June 1870. The show"
"If the breed is sufficiently numerous, the Kennel Club awards a Challenge Certificate for the Best Dog and Best Bitch. A dog needs three CCs from three different judges to be awarded the title of Champion one of which must be awarded when the dog is over 12 months old. First held in 1891, the most prestigious Championship show is Crufts, and each dog entered at Crufts has had to qualify by certain wins at Championship show level. The highest profile dog show in British culture, Crufts is the largest show of its kind in the world. It is held"
"Internet. Since 2010 the show has been broadcast on the commercial channel More4, attracting over 4.5 million viewers. Crufts is not an open competition; dogs must have qualified throughout the previous year. There are a number of ways of qualifying for the breed classes at Crufts, but most dogs typically qualify by obtaining first, second or third place in the relevant class at a Kennel Club affiliated Championship show where Challenge Certificates are awarded, or by achieving Best in Show, Reserve Best in Show or Best Puppy in Show at a Kennel Club affiliated Open or General show. Dogs can"
"to the fact that he and his wife Emma had owned at least one Saint Bernard; the same breed of dog he had used in his creation of the Crufts logo. At the time of the United Kingdom Census 1901, Cruft was living at 325 Holloway Road, N7 with his wife Emma, his father Charles, a boarder named Albert Causfield and a servant named Alice Gregory. He listed his profession as ""show promoter"". Emma would go on to outlive Charles, she died at the age of 82 on 5 September 1950. At the time of his death, he was living"
"gather livestock. Other dog sports of this category include dog agility events, whereby the dogs must tackle obstacle courses, and obedience trials, where they must execute a predefined set of tasks. Crufts, a British conformation show for dogs, has grown since it started in 1886. While dogs are the most common show animal, cat shows are also common. Both of these animals have a wide variety of breeds and compete in categories, comparing each individual to the breed ""ideal."" Some unusual animals also take part in shows, such as the competitors in rabbit show jumping and common chaffinches in vinkenzetting."
"for children and young people) continue to be popular activities; a single show, the 2006 Crufts dog show alone had 143,000 spectators, with 24,640 purebred dogs entered, representing 178 different breeds from 35 different countries. The sport of conformation dog showing is only open to registered purebred dogs. Purebred dogs represent to many commentators the attitudes of the late Victorian era, when dog breeding first became popular, and when most modern breeds originated. Purebred dogs were bred from a narrow set of ancestors, and an idea developed that this made them superior in appearance. Englishman Francis Galton used the term"
"Terrier Club, and from the second show onwards on 21 June 1902, the show became known as the National Terrier Show. Cruft continued as Secretary of the club until 1914 when Sir William Savory took on the role. Despite the fact that he gave away very few details about himself to the press, to make them concentrate more on promotion of his shows, he did not always see eye to eye with all members of the media. One newspaper refused to publish his name at all, and whenever it made reference to Cruft's dog shows, it simply referred to them"
"the Association for Protection of Animals in the Algarve. Scruffts Scruffts is an informal dog show competition, similar to that of a conformation show for purebred dogs, where crossbreed dogs of any parentage are allowed to compete. It is hosted by The Kennel Club of the United Kingdom and is named after its world-famous annual show for purebreds, Crufts. Scruffts began in 2000. At Scruffts, dogs compete for the titles of: Scruffts was designed for people or families who do not have a purebred dog and who want to experience conformation competition with their dogs. It is an opportunity to"
"rising in Germany, terriers were also rising to the height of fashion in much of Europe and the United States. The Allied Terrier Show was taken over by Charles Crufts in 1886, and was the largest dog show in the world before World War I, while the first breed-specific dog publication anywhere was a magazine devoted to fox terriers. The Westminster Dog Show was begun in 1907, and the first winner was a fox terrier. A fox terrier won again in 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1915, 1916, and 1917. A fascination with terriers, fervent nationalism, and a propensity towards genetic"
"History of dog agility The history of dog agility can be traced to a demonstration in the late 1970s in the United Kingdom. It has since spread rapidly around the world, with major competitions held worldwide. The first widely documented appearance of dog agility was as entertainment at the Crufts dog show in 1978. John Varley, a committee member from the 1977 show, was tasked with coming up with entertainment for the audience between the obedience and conformation competitions in the main ring. Varley asked dog trainer Peter Meanwell for assistance, and they presented a largely jumping-style course resembling something"
"detection dog and handlers. For his service to the war effort, he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire. In 1948, he was one of the founder members of the Home Counties Cocker Club, donating a trophy for best novice of any colour. In the same year Crufts took place for the first time since the war, and again Lloyd won Best in Show, this time with Tracey Witch of Ware. The competition was suspended in 1949 during the handover of the competition from the Cruft family to The Kennel Club, it resumed in 1950, and"